Spring-wheel.



PATENTED JULY 2, 1907.

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10.858,412. PATENTED JULY 2, 1907. P. J. NBATE.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 7,1905.

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' PATENTED JULY 2. l1907.

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P. J. NEATE. SPRING WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 7. 1905.

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P. J. NBA'I'E. SPRING WHEEL.

APPLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 7, 1905.

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PATENTED JULY 2,r 1907.

P. J. NEATE. VSPRING WHEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 7. 1905.

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P. J. NEATE. SPRING WHEEL. APrLIoATIoN FILED Nov.'7.19o5.

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NTTED STATES Y'PATENT oEEIcE.

PEECY Jol-1N NEATE, or EooHfEsTEE, ENGLAND.

SPRING-WHEEL.

To all whom 'it may concern:

`Be it known that I, PEECY JoHN NEATE, Watts avenue, Rochester, in the county of Kent, England, engineer, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Wheels for Vehicles and -Cy cles, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring Wheels for vehicles and cycles and has for its object to provide an improved construction oi that type oi spring wheel wherein the stresses due to vertical displacement of the hub relatively to the rim are taken up by transverse or axial stresses on the parts or connections which couple the movable member tothe hub or shalt or vice versa.

According to this invention the' movable rim ofthe wheel is coupled-to the hub member through the medium oi springs acting approximately 'parallel to thel axis of the wheel, `the said springs being under rariable ltension or compression and acting romone member to the other as resilient supports, the connections preierably being made by causing the said springs to act upon surfaces of revolution such as cup-shaped recesses on each member kept apart by balls so arranged that radial or rotational movement oi either member relatively to `the other in any-direction in the plane of thev to be unequally stressed although each spring will in rotation pass towards andrecede from the point of maxi! mum stress.

I will now refer to the accompanying drawings which illustrate some forms of my invention.

Figure l is a vertical section; Fig. 2 is a face view oi Fig. 1, half in section on the line A-A, and half on the line B-B; Fig. 3 is a detailed section of Fig. 2 on the-line C-G; Fig. 4 is a similar view to Fig. 1 show-- .other modification.

' mean movements of the springs approximately parallel Figs. 1 to 7 relate to` that type of spring wheel where rolling cup and ball devices are employed for converting the relative movements of the hub and rim members into axial movements oi the springs, by which I to the axis. i

In Figs. 1 and 2, o is the hub oi the wheel and b and c are the flanges suitably spaced apart. d d are coiled springs which press upon two cup carrying plates e e which are [recly suspended between the flanges b and c. and adapted to receive between them the rim flange j' Specification of Letters Patent.y

Application led November '7, 1905. Serial No. 286,280.y

of Belsize, y

. cording to circumstances.

Patentes-.my 2, 1907.

which is connected to the felly o the wheel by suitable spokes g coupled to lateral flanges at the outer edges of said rim flange. Both the. rim flange f and the freely suspended cup carrying plates e e are fitted with cupshaped recesses h j respectively, which recesses or cups lace one another and form chambers in which are placed balls c one in each chamber and on which the opposing faces of the cups roll when the rim member moves relatively to the hub-member, and owing to the cup shaped formation of these recesses any movement of the balls away from the bottoms of the cups due to their relative displacement will cause the surfaces of the cups carried by the plates e e to be moved away from the cups carried by the rim flange f against the action of the springs d and conversely the tendency of the rim will always be to return to concentric position with regard to the hub when released from its load, although naturally when running and under the'infiuence of the weight oi the vehicle the position ofthe rim will be eccentric to the hub but always varying under the inequalities of the road, the torque on the axle and the rotation of the Wheel. Each freely suspended cup carrying plate, although constrained radially and rotatively relatively to the hub ofthe wheel, yet by reason of its being free to move parallel to the axis will allow of the cups which it carries being forced laterally against the restraining pressures of the axially acting springs through distances which may or may not be equal for the several cups ac- To keep the balls under `all circumstances incontact with both surfaces of the opposing cups h j' and to prevent excessive departure of the rim portion with annular flange f from its central plane when subject to external lateral stresses suitably' formed stops or pegs such as Z l, Figs. 2 and 3, may be provided attached to the rim flange f and impinging -upon pads or projections m on flanges b. c before the springs on the other side of the flanges' f lose all their compression. It will thus be impossible for any individual spring or ball to become slack owing to its neighboring I spring or springs on the opposite side of the wheel being unduly compressed by an external side shock. When the cups h on the rim flanges f are staggered instead of being back to back the supporting metal at the backs of these cups forms a very suitable equivalent for the pads or projections m, and pegs such as l will then be attached to. the hub flanges b c. This modification is not illustrated but will be obvious. h

Stops 'n n, Fig. 1, may be provided to limit the motion ofthe cups and the extent to which the springs d can be compressed. y

i My invention may be used with any number of cups and balls, but for the purpose of securing an eflcient -drive and easy motion with all the balls and cups in continuous contact when they are mounted symmetrically about the axis of the Wheel on a rigid plate, and to reduce the necessary amount of' accurate adjustment of the parts, it is of great importance to place the said cup and ball connections at three points only on each side ofthe plane ot' the Wheel.

The opposite hub flanges b c may be fitted on the hub in the form of sleeves, or as shown in the drawing they may be formed as two parts of the hub coupled by through bolts o around which suitable clearance apertures p will be provided in the rim flange f to give and yet limit the necessary freedom oi motion between the members of the Wheel. The spring pressed intermediate plates e e may also themselves be drawn together by connecting springs, but such added pressure will not add to the lateral stability although it will increase the vertical and torsional resiliency (this construction is not illustrated). j

In another modification shown in Fig, 5 the spring pressed cup carrying plates e may be themselves mounted on the axle or hub q or a part attached thereto both being free to slide axially on the axle or hub q subject to the restraining influence of axial springs such as d, the plates c being guided by their bores r which bores may be bell mouthed as shown to allow oi tilting oi the cup-carrying plates upon which the springs act. lf' torque has to be provided for, the plates e must be restrained from rotating relatively to the hub. It would be possible to employ only one sliding spring pressed plate such as e and to fix the other set of outer cups on the outer flange, but two sliding plates, each spring pressed, will generally be found preferable. Torque and load will or may be ytransmitted from the hub flanges to the rim flange either by the said through bolts o or equivalent pegs on the hub flanges passing loosely through holes in the spring-pressed intermediate plates e or through the intervention of flexible connections between the hub flanges and the spring pressed plates and thence through the cups and balls to the rim, or alternatively through flexible and extensible connections between the hub flanges and the rim flanges.

ln Figs. l and 2 torque and load are transmitted from the hub flanges b c to the intermediate plates e e by flexible connections which are here shown in the form of links s s which connect the said plates from convenient points as at t to the neighboring through bolts o. In the drawing three such links are provided on each side of the wheel and these While conveying torque and load have a certainamount of play or flexibility at their ends to allow the plates e to make the necessary axial movement. For each link may be substituted a pair of oppositely acting flexible links each link then being subject to tension only. The links may be made of resilient material instead of having play at their ends, and such are included in the term flexible eonnectionswhe1'e used.

Fig. 4 shows the construction shown in Fig. l reversed,

I i* the freely suspended cup carrying plates c being carried ball devices, and converted into harmless compression stresses, a featurc of my preferred construction on which l lay special stress.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a modification adapted lor a wheel which is to undergo excessive strains or is lo carry n very heavy load. In such a case it may be necessary to distribute the lateral stresses over a number of points` of contact for which purpose the cups and balls` are arranged in groups suitably spaced apart around the wheel. With such groups in order to secure the requisite freedom of one group in regard to the others) they are mounted on separate plates-w w w each plato heilig driven independently and having independent latein] movement against its respective supporting spring or springs d.` These groups may however be pivotally mounted on freely suspended cup carrying plates of the kind shown at c in Figs. l and 2. Those plates vw are shown as being driven by through bolts .t which may pass slackly through the centers of the plates which are guided and driven thereby, the platos boing so mounted upon the bolts as to permit of a very slight wabbliug movement thereon which gives the required freedom ol motion and minimizes friction. ln the drawing each group is shown as consisting of three. sels of cups and balls h and k to each plaie, but there is no limit to the number of groups or balls in cach group that may be employed. If required the plates w may iustead of being driven by through bolts :t be coupled io through bolts or pegs or coupled to the hub by flexible links such as s as above described in which vase the plates should be flexibly linked the one to the other to prevent relative radial and rotational movement.

lt is obvious that, providing the resultant of the artion of all the springs is axial or parallel to the axis of the wheel, individual springs need not act in an axial direction; thus said springs might act' from the rim to the cup carrying plates at a very oblique angle such as that usually formed by the spoke of an ordinary tension wheel, and these springs may th en perform the function of spokes in addition to the function of pressing the intermediate plates against a central hub flange. Such a modification is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9, which show a construction somewhat similar to Figs. l and l where cups and balls are employed to support two side flanges or cup carrying plates y y on either side of the central hub flange z, by the resiliency of tension spokes 2, 2, which connect the flanges y to the rim, said cup carrying plates y obtaining their required lateral motion under the resiliency of the tension spokes2, 2,

' when displaced by the movement of the cups and balls under the relative displacement of the hub and rim. If required the spokes 2 may themselves be stiff spiral springs or be supplemented by springs such as 3 at their ends or other suitable position in their length to secure therequired amount of resiliency. The cup carrying plates y may be extended inward as at -l to form stops to limit the movement and for sheltering the springs 3,

" between the opposing faces of the cups, the freely suspended cup-carrying plates being capable of permitting unequal movements of the cups approximately parallel to the axis of the wheel as required by the varying conditions of torque and load.

2. In a spring wheel, a hub and rim connected by an arrangement comprising a pair of plates maintainedvat a ixed distance apart,A springs abutting against said fixed plates, a pair of cup carrying plates pressed inward by said springs, a central cup carrying plate, and balls forming a rolling connection between the opposing 'cups in the cup carrying plates.

3. In a spring wheel, a wheel rim, a cup carrying plate connected with the rim, a hub, spring-pressed cup carrying plates freely suspended from the hub on either sideof the cup cnrrying'plate carried by the rim, and balls arranged between the cups on the respective rim and hub plates.

4. In a spring Wheel, a hub comprising side plates maintained at a iixed distance, inner cup carrying plates, balls carried in said cups, a rim, cup carrying plates connected to the wheel rim, and springs pressing the inner cup carrying plates toward the cup carrying plate which is connected to the rim. i f

5. The improved spring wheel for vehicles and 'cycles comprising independently moving hub and rim members, plates disposed between said hub and rim member-sand suspended from one of such members, springs pressing on said suspended plates,A rolling cup and ball devices coupling said suspended plates to one member of thewheel, said suspended plates being so mounted upon the other member of the wheel or driven therefrom as to be free to move along the axis of the Wheel und adapted to allow of unequaiaxal movement of individual cups under the varying relative movement of the cup and ball devices and the laterally disposed springs, substantially as described. v

6. The improved spring wheel for vehiclesand cycles;

comprising the scombination with independently moving hub and rim members, of suspended plates, springs forcing said suspended plates together, means for suspending and driving said plates from one member of the wheel said suspended plates being so mounted on said member of thc wheel as to have axial movement in regard thereto, with vfreedom to tilt in rcgai'dto the plane of the wheel, but

restrained in other directions, rolling c up and ball eviccs coupling saldsuspended plates to the other membe of the' wheel, said cup and ball devices being adapted to convert the relative movements of the hub and rim members into other member ofthe wheel in such manner that each plate and groups of cups therein is capable of independent movement parallel to the axis of thewheel, rolling balls between the opposing faces of said cups, and springs pressing the opposing groups of cups together.

8. In a spring wheel, the combination of a hub member, a rim member, cups on said rim member, cups on said hub member facing the cups on therim member, rplling balls between the opposingfaces of said cups, said members being radially displaceable relatively to each other, and

springs carried by lthe'hub member and suspending the f cups thereon, whereby the vibratory shocks which the rim member receives direct from the road areonly transmitted to the springs through cups and balls, substantially as described. Y i Y v 9. In spring wheels such as are herein, referred to, the combination with an inner cup carrying plate of stops to limit its movement in vrelation to the outer plates which serve as abutments for vthe springs, substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. The improved spring wheel for vehicles comprising the combination of a'hub member, a rim member rotatively movable relatively thereto, a connection between the two 1 comprising a plurality of setsof cupy and balludevices and an independent spring for each set, adapted to permit unequal axial movement .of said cup and ball devices.

11. The improved spring Wheel for vehicles comprising the combination of a hub member, a rim member rotatively movable relativelythereto, a connection between the two comprising a plurality of sets of cup and ball devices and an independent spring fox-.each set, adapted to permit unequal axal movement of said cup and ball devices, and means for driving one of said members from the other, such means being independent of such opposing means, and being adapted to permit vsuch relative movement.

12. In spring wheel such as are herein referred to, the combinationy with a freely suspended cup carrying plate', of springs between the same and one member of the wheel, and means for driving said freely suspended plate from said member .of the wheel, stops fixed upon the other member of the wheel and projemcting toward the back'of the cups on the freely suspended cup carrying plate, curved pads on the back of said freely suspended cup carrying plates, said padsbeing soformed yas tovbe always in relative relation to the stop durlngthe movement of the wheel,

whereby the stop` will, under excessive side strain or shock engage said curved pad and preserve the lateral stability, of the Wheel.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence 0f two subscribing witnesses. 

